The Labor enquirer., 1887-06-25
assault to murder. But shortly aftsr did

so vas approached by : man named
Matt Collins, Who conducts . saloon In
Dunbar alley, just behind the city prison.
/ had Known Collins for some time. He
intimated that he had como from Captain
Douglass, and asked that make q request
that the warrant be withdrawn. He prom
ised that Il would do 80 Douglass would
in return break up the gang Of hoodlums
who were making my neighborhood tor
ror. I considered that il could get him
to do HIS duty in the premises BY promis-
ing to let his son alone, since srresting
him wouldn't heal my brothers injuries
any the quicker, 1t would be the best thing
to be done. So sent word to Joe CofIsy
to withdraw the warrant" '
HAS Captain Douglass kept his prom>
isei"
mo, he has not, and I shall swear TO an.
other complaint If necessary"
Deeming it somewhat extraordinary
circumstance that the service Of warrant
could be stayed at the more request Of
prosecuting witness and a most serious
matter fixed" ont Of court, an Eraxiner
reporter visited the city hall in search Of
information.
Judge Hornblower, presiding in the po.
lice court from whence the warrant was H.
sued, was first seen. When asked II he
had ever made an order to stay service Of
the warrant in question, he appeared sur
prised, and answered quickly; "Order
warrant for Douglass to be withheld! No
sir, did not"
'Has any person but yourself the the
legal power to dismiss case or stop the
service Of warrant after it has once been
issued from your oourts"
mo; certainly not" was the answer.
mo warrant can be stayed without a
written order from the Judge Of the court
from whence it vas issued"
Sergeant A. J. Houghtsling, to whom all
warrants are oonfided after being issued,
was next interviewed. He occupies an
Office jointly with Captain Douglass.
When questioned he did not deny that
warrant had been issued for young Doug
lass arrest on a charge of assault to mur-
der.
ut was not served" he said, because
Kramer asked that it be withheld"
did you receive any order from Judge
Hornblowerw
Mr.. Houghtaling thought that he had
not. "Anyhow," he continued, "he has
not come down and pointed down the man
who hit him."
Chief Crowley, when spoken to, claimed
to know nothing about the matter, but
stated that it was common practice for
the police to withhold warrants at the re-
quest of any person swearing them out
without consulting the judge who issues
them.
Apropos, the Examiner has this to
say:
MONsTROUs OUTRAGE.
The dead must arise from their graves
before the appointed time, it appears, to
conform with some of the astonishing
rules of our police department.. Acoor-
ding to story in our local department to.
day the police surgeon whose duty it is to
order the service Of warrants of arrest,
deferred warrant because the victim Of
an assault was not on hand to point out
the person wanted. Carried to it's ulti-
mate conclusion, this rule would make
murder the only absolutely safe crime,
for even man half dead might be
brought around on stretcher to "point
out the person wanted" In the case in
question it is possible, however, that the
"person wanted" being the son Of police
captain may have had more to do with
the non service of the warrant than that
his victim was too near dead to "point
out" his assailant.
The whole case, as reported, reveals q
monstrous wrong. A man assaults and
nearly kills another. A warrant is sworn
out, but not served because tho police
promise favor to the complaining wit
ness. The warrant has never been dis
missed by the court, but by some police
hocus-pocus is held up, as If the admins
trstion of the law, in even the most serious
cases, were matter of police convenience
and Judgment. The chief Of police is re-
ported as saying that it is common
practice for the police to Withhold war
rants at the request Of the persons swear
ing to them. II needs no argument to
prove how this common practice" can
profit and assist blackmsilers and mako
the compounding Of felony an every day
occurrence in police circles.
,TIENE ITO